Bulacan, Lanao del Sur capitols closed for disinfection

Provincial and health officials in Bulacan and Lanao del Sur have ordered the closure and disinfection of their capitol buildings this week due to increases in local cases of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In Bulacan, the capitol was placed on a five-day lockdown starting on Monday after three employees contracted the virus.

Gov. Daniel Fernando ordered the temporary closure of the main building to disinfect its offices. “This … is necessary to protect our employees, as well as those who have transactions in the capitol offices,” he said in a statement.

Health workers also began tracing those who could have been exposed to the new cases.

Capitol employees would hold office at Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center, located at the back of the capitol building, to ensure unhampered delivery of public services, Fernando said. All other offices would continue to operate as usual, he added.

As of Sunday, Bulacan had recorded 1,699 COVID-19 cases, 601 of whom recovered while 52 died.

Local transmission

In Lanao del Sur, Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson for the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), said the provincial government decided to close the capitol complex for four days after the Integrated Provincial Health Office (Ipho) declared on Aug. 7 a local transmission of COVID-19.

Employees were asked to work from home during the complex’s disinfection starting on Monday. Transactions at the capitol will resume on Friday.

Dr. Alinader Minalang, Ipho chief, said the 21 confirmed cases in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur last week had “no known exposure” or recent travel history out of the province in the past 30 days.

Close to 800 provincial employees and workers of national government agencies with offices at the capitol compound would be affected by the closure, according to Sheila Divnani Ganda, one of the coordinators of the Provincial IATF.

“This is precautionary pronouncement to ensure that our local governments, public and private health-care providers and all other stakeholders can prepare for possible increase in suspected and confirmed cases,” Minalang said.

—Reports from Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Divina Suson, Richel Umel and Edwin Fernandez